Trash swirled inside the stadium, hot dog wrappers and peanut shells bouncing off seats. The place was lifeless, save for workers picking up trash.

The picture, in many ways, represents the Rockies’ crossroads as they reached the all-star break: Is Coors Field empty and hopeless or prime for a rebirth?

After losing 8-5 on Sunday to the division-leading San Diego Padres, the record told an ugly truth. The Rockies are 31-56, a hot month from even aspiring to mediocrity or shedding their anonymity.

A local TV station polled 20 fans, including several wearing Rockies gear, as they left the game, and only two correctly named closer Brian Fuentes as the team’s all-star.

No one has to tell owner Charlie Monfort his team’s issues. His e-mail in-box remains rife with complaints. On a sunny afternoon, saddled with another loss, Monfort saw the beauty of young players getting better.

“If they give us a chance in two years, which is what everybody says it could take, but it might be only one, we are going to be competitive,” Monfort said. “I know that a lot of teams would like to have the nucleus of players and fan support we have.”

But some fans see the Atlanta Braves breaking in a large batch of rookies, while still contending, and wonder why that can’t be the Rockies. The simple answer is inconsistency.

Teams that win make their best plays in the biggest moments.

The Rockies, as was evidenced again Sunday, repeatedly have failed to deliver big hits with runners on base. They have shown they can get leads, but holding them has proved troublesome. Fielding errors, botched bunts and sloppy pitches are among the mistakes that have prevented victories.

Jeff Francis, the ace of the first half, lost his first day game ever at Coors Field on Sunday, equaling the shortest outing of his career.

“I have had a lot of trouble in the first inning this year and been able to recover from it,” said Francis, tagged for seven runs in four innings. “I always felt like today they kept coming at me, and I couldn’t find rhythm.”

Yet third baseman Garrett Atkins, right fielder Brad Hawpe and Francis are leading candidates for National League rookie of the year. Atkins is hitting .306, Hawpe owns 39 RBIs and Francis has eight wins.

“It’s been about what I expected,” Todd Helton said. “The guys play hard. They just need more experience so we can learn how to win.”

Helton is finding himself at the plate. The first baseman hit his 10th home run Sunday and lifted his average 38 points over the past three weeks to .288.

“I am not going to think about my swing or baseball during the break. I am going to relax,” Helton said.

It’s not a bad idea, preserving energy. In this youth movement, the heavy lifting has only begun.

“As I have said all along, our goal is to improve every month,” Rockies manager Clint Hurdle said. “The quickest way for that to happen is for every individual to improve himself, myself included.”

Rockies recap

Dustan Mohr signed with the Rockies to help accelerate the youth movement and increase his stature as a player. But his role diminished from opening-day starter to reserve, amplifying the importance of limited opportunities.

Mohr delivered the first pinch-hit, inside-the-park home run in Rockies history Sunday, racing around the Coors Field bases after the ball ricocheted off the wall and the face of Padres right fielder Brian Giles.

“Do I get a little baseball on the outfield wall for having a Rockies first?” joked Mohr, who had hit his most recent inside-the-park home run off current teammate Jose Acevedo last August. “I wasn’t tired, but my chest was burning.”

HAWPE HURTING: Brad Hawpe didn’t play Sunday and remains a candidate for the disabled list because of a strained left hamstring. “I strained my right one in junior college,” said Hawpe, who is hitting .295 with eight home runs and 39 RBIs. “With injuries like this, you have to wait a couple of days to see where you are at.”

Troy is a former Denver Broncos and Colorado Rockies beat writer for The Denver Post. He joined the news organization in 2002 as the Rockies' beat writer and became a Broncos beat writer in 2014 before assuming the lead role ahead of the 2015 season. He left The Post in 2015.

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